Spring Cleaning:: Out With Old and In With the New!

Hello...Hello! This post is sort of a follow up to the Bargain Babe post from earlier. If you are looking for great ways to save your money and score AMAZING deals, check out the Bargain Babe post. Anyways, so it's SPRING which means time for Spring Cleaning! So what better way to get rid of some last year's trends and items that you may no longer fit into or things you just never wore then to do a little Spring Cleaning?

I would not say that I am a "neat freak", but one thing I pride myself on is getting rid of things (I get it from my Daddy)! Since I have "messy" tendencies and an addiction to shopping, my closet sometimes looks like a tornado hit it. The one and only way for me to manage my "issue" is to create an easy and quick way to sort through the items I no longer want to keep.

If you're like me then you pick out your outfits for the day the night before. I will literally try on everything in my closet until I get my outfit just right (how else will I have the perfect #ootd ?). This is the perfect time to sort through your closet so that Spring Cleaning doesn't just happen during the Spring. I keep two large plastic totes in my closet under a rack of clothing. One I label "Goodwill" and the other "Re-sell". As I try on each item I either toss it in the "Goodwill" box, "Re-sell" box, or hang it back up. Easy, right?

The "Goodwill" box will be filled with all the items that might not be in the best of conditions (no holes or stains, just evidence of wear) anymore or things that are WAY out of trend. The "Re-sell" box on the other hand, is filled with things that maybe just do not fit right anymore, you don't see yourself wearing this season, or perhaps items that you never wore. Yes, it happens. Somehow I always find items that are months to years old that still have tags on it. These items are perfect for the "Re-sell" box.

When you are going to re-sell your clothing, there are many ways to approach it. You could set up a closet account on Instagram, have a garage or yard sale, or (my favorite) sell to a used clothing store. I have never personally sold or bought any clothing items on Instagram, but some of my favorite bloggers have accounts that I follow (one man's trash is another man's treasure!). But, if you have a PayPal Account and a big following on Instagram, this just might be right for you.

Growing up it seems like we always had garage sales! I remember how exciting it, and exhausting it is!  The only things that I do not like about having a garage sale is 1. you have to get up REALLY early 2. it takes a lot of work pricing all the items.

In my opinion, selling to resale and used clothing shops are the way to go! The only trick is to make sure that you are bringing in clothing that is in season or about to be in season. The people who work in these store are typically very friendly are will let you know what types of things that they are looking for. This will help you to not lug in 5 crates full of winter clothing in the summer thinking that they are going to buy it (learned that one the hard way).

I hope you found my Spring Cleaning tips helpful! As ways, make sure you are following the blog by entering your e-mail address over to the right! Also, follow me on Instagram and Pinterest!


Here's my favorite #ootd from this week so far! Coral and Mint Green! My Favs!

Top: Kohls Bottoms: JcPenny Handbag: Kate Spade

 

This past weekend I went wedding dress shopping with my Sister-in-Law in Houston.  One of the dress shops we went to was across the street from a Kate Spade store. I picked up a few items that I have been swooning over! Cute, right?

 

Xoxo,

 

Mrs. Southern Style

Bargain Babe: Beauty on a Budget

Well...Fancy Seeing You Here..

If you know me personally, you know that I am a bargain hunter. I rarely pay full price for anything. I love Marshalls and TJ Maxx! (yes, I'm a maxxinista!)  Not to brag but, I once got a beautiful dining table (seats 6!) from Pier 1  for $60! But, one of my favorite bargains this week came from Rue 21. I think I've been in that store maybe twice in the last 10 years, so I do not know what possessed me to go this week but I am sooo happy I did! I found this super cute floral top that was regularly priced for $17.99 (which is cheap to begin with) for a little over $9! Yes, I know..so what is a girl to do when the cashier tells you that your new cute top was on sale? Duh! ask if they have it in any other colors! Which they did! (happy dance)

How about this steal? Cute and comfy tiny flower romper by Angie was regular priced $24.99 marked down to $14.99 then to $5.99 with an extra 50% taken off at the register! Yes, that's around $3! I paired mine with a mustard yellow cardigan and a pair of cowboy boots for a quick dinner with my hubby!

 

Here's my Tips on being a Bargain Babe:

 

1. If there is something you really want that is expensive, WAIT! I know it's hard to not have that instant gratification but your wallet will thank you in the long run and you'll be able to buy more things with the money you'll save. So, shop around and price check for a week or two.

 

2. Befriend the people working at the store. Be NICE to them always! Sometimes they hold the secret to when things are going on sale. Plus, you should always be nice no matter what your motives are. This week my nice karma paid off! I stop at Chick-fil-a every morning to get breakfast and lunch before work. I usually spend about $12 each morning. Well Friday, Chick-fil-a paid it forward and gave me my order for free! WHATT!! I was so excited! So, I Instagramed my excitement photo and the Corporate Chick-fil-a Instagram liked my photo :) Made my day!

Chickfila like my instagram photo!

3. Ask questions! Find out when your favorite stores get their shipments in. Especially if you love to go to stores like TJ Maxx and Marshalls. These stores are my FAVORITE places to go because they have designer items for less! If you know when they get their shipments in then you can have first dibs on all their  new things!

 

4. If you are looking for furniture, don't look through the catalog if you are on a budget. Go into the stores and check for when they put their floor models on sale. I go to Pier 1 every Sunday just to look around because I was once told that Sunday is when they mark their items down. As mentioned earlier, I once bought a gorgeous dining room table that was regularly priced at $400 for $60! This table was a floor model that was marked down to $110 because it had a tiny scratch on it (Don't let imperfections scare you away, they can usually be fixed). I was ready and willing to purchase this table at $110 but the store clerk informed me that if I waited until Sunday then it would be on sale! So, I waited and it paid off big! I purchased a $400 beautiful table for $60!

 

5. Sign up for your favorite store's email lists and download their apps. I have an old email account from before I was married that I don't use anymore, because it has my maiden name, that I use for all my favorite store's emails. I know that you get a TON of emails and the thought of one more is painful, but if you set up an account just for "junk" mail it will not interfere with your personal account. Kirklands sends out savings coupons each week through email that you can just show them the scan bar off your phone in the store. They also have an app that allows you to spend a wheel for additional savings.

6. If you don't wear it, get rid of it! No, don't throw it away! Go to your local Plato's Closet or Style Encore to sell all your gently used clothes. This is probably my favorite thing to do on Saturday. I usually wake up early to ensure that I'm one of the first people there. If you wait too long, the lines will be horrible and you'll spend all afternoon waiting for them to go through your clothes. Lately though, they have been letting people leave their things and come back to avoid waiting forever.

 

I know 6 is a weird number to stop at but, that's all the tips I have!

 

 

As always, if you are not following my Blog, Instagram, or Pinterest page PLEASE do :)

 

Have a wonderful day!

 

Xoxo,

Mrs. Southern Style